Loom-tending apparatus.



W. H. HILL.

LOOM TENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29| 1917.

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LOOM TENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man om. 29. 19u.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTORNEY W. H. HILL.

Loom TENDIN'G APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1917.

Patented Apr. 9,1918.

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WITNE ATTORNEY W. H. HILL. Loom TENDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1917.

Patented Apr. 9, ma.

' INVENTOR ATTORNEY WILLIAM I-I. HILL, 0F EAST TALLASSEE, ALABAMA.

LOOM-TENDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 191s.

Application filed October 29, 1917. Serial No. 199,172.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WUJLIAM H. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Tallassee, in the county of Tallapoosa and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loom- Tending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in loom tending apparatus and more particularly to structure of this character intended to be permanently installed in the weave shop and more particularly in the alleys between the looms, and which is so constructed that a lcar is provided and is mounted to be movable along the length of the alley to serve the looms.

An object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the character as described which constitutes a track sunk into the floor or built up upon the ioor of the weave room and with a car mounted upon the track to travel from one end of an alley to the other to thus permit service to the looms on both sides of the alley.

A further object is to so construct the car and track that power means may be applied to cause movement of the car and a quill boy or other attendant may ride upon the car to serve the looms.

Yet another object lies in providing means within the car and within the control of the quill boy or other operator by which the car may be caused to travel in either direction along the track and may be stopped at any point along the length of the alley to thus permit service to the various machines on the floor.

Another object is to so construct the car that not only are control means provided for the manipulation of the car to travel in both directions and to stop the same before any one of the looms, but also lling boxes are carried thereby, in which separate compartments are provided for empty quills and provision is made for the taking the cloth from the looms, in this way giving complete service to all of the various looms throughout the length of the alley or throughout that part of the floor to be served by the particular car. Y

Still another object is to provide shield means by which the cog chain arranged to impart the traveling movement to the car and thus mounted upon the floor or sunk thereinto, is normally covered and is uncovered by the approach of the car or by the car in its movement.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts such as will be hereinafter more fully set forth in connection with the drawings and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings z- Figure l is a view Vin side elevation of the car showing the same mounted upon the track.

Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the disclosure in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view 'taken at one end of the track to show the mounting of the track and the arrangement of the shield covering therefor together with the cog chain operating means. l

Fig. d is a longitudinal sectional view taken vertically through the vstructure disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the parts as illustrated in Fig. 4, and taken on the line 5 5.

Fie. 6 is a transverse sectional viewA the cog chain in the extent of these parts" through an alley between rows of looms as placed upon the weaving Hoor.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View to better disclose means by which the track guards are moved aside. i

It is a purpose to provide a loom tending apparatus and to so arrange the same in the weave shop that a car is provided to travel along a track arranged adjacent to a row of machines and as the car is moved along the track it is brought to a position where the various looms can be served. A track structure generally indicated at l is soconstructed that it can be laid from one end of the alley between rows of machines, to the other, or where any length of the alley whichV is to be served by the particular apparatus. This track structure can be sunk in the floor of the weave room or can be brought over the floor and a car generally indicated at 2 is provided to be mounted upon and to travel along the length of the track.

The car constitutes a floor 3 which is mounted upon the wheels4, which latter are l of the track,` and to retain the car againstv positioned to have their lower sides ex-l tended below the bottom' ofthe floor 3 so that these wheels will support the car upon the track. A box 5 is built on the middle portion of the floor 3 and this box preferably hasth'e side Aportions 6 and 7A thereof made to be removable, the strips 8 being secured in conjunction with the end meinl bers forming the box 5 so that grooved guideways are provided in which the ends of the members 6 and 7 can be fitted in being built up to form the sides of the box. A revolving seat 8 is mounted on the floor 3 at substantially the center of the box 5 and through the revoluble mounting of the seat, a. quill boy can sitA upon the saine and can with facility face either end or` either'side of the box without getting up from the seat.

The ends of the box 5 are left open in their upper portion and combination filling and empty quill boxes are shaped to be mounted on the extending end of the floor 3, these combination boxes 9 and 10 being preferably heldin place by the hinges 11 and 12 so that while they are secured in conjunction with the floor structure and are thus an integral part of the car, yet lthey 'can be swung down from their upright positioning. The boxes 9 and 10 are h eld against lateral displacement through being" received in the coniines of the outstanding,

outer edges of the strips 8, and turningl bars 11 are mounted at the upper edges of the inner sides of these boxes 9 and 10 to be brought down to the proper relation to lock within the ends of the box 5 land se-v cure the boxes 9 and 10 in their upright position.

It is necessary that some means be provided of moving the car along the length jumping from the track or against displacement, and to give proper carrying support for the car the wheel races 13 are provided at eac-h side of the track while overhangingf flanges 14 are shaped to have the side flanges 15 of thev car received therebeneath in such an arrangement that the car is permitted to have free movement along the length of the track but at the same time is held against jumping from or being thrown from theV track. As is better shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the trackway 1 is extendedthroughou't the length of an alley formed between rows of looms which are generally and diagrammati' cally indicated at 16, in Fig. 7. With this arrangement of they parts, the wheel races and the flanges overhanging the outer edges of the same will extend throughout the entire length of the trackway and chain receiving grooves 17 and 18 are provided at thev sides of the trackway adjacent to the wheel. races 13 and are also 'extended throughout the entire Ilength of the, track.

At lthe ends of the track 1, thesprocket wheels 19 and 20 are mounted upon the shafts -21 and 22 which are carried in suitable bearing structures, and a cog chain 23 is ittedv around these sprocket wheels 19 and 20 so that the straight lengths thereof lie and will travel in the chain recesses 17 and 18 as motion is transmitted to either or both ofthe sprocket wheels 19 and 20 to cause turning of the same. As is shown, the sprocket wheels 19 and 20 have thebevel or miter gears24: carried by the shafts 21 and 22'thereof and thepower shafts 25 are mounted to extend substantially at right angles to the axesof the'shafts 21 and 22. Belt pulleys 26 are connected'on these power shafts 25 and have the belts 27 vl`extended thereover, or power might be transmitted in any other way to the shafts'25 and through the miter gear wheels 27 carried thereon, to the gear wheels 24 by which the Vsprocket wljieels-'19 and 20 Vare toy be turned.

AsthesprOCketwheels 19.*'and 2O are turned, the chain will be,V caused to' travel in the guideways 17 and 1.8', it of course being understoodtthat the straight length of the chain on one side will betraveling in one direction while'the straight length of the chain 'on7 the oppositer side' of the trackway progressing'in' a reverse direction.

' Thev chain 23 has the' cog projections 28 formed on the various links thereofv and preferably bent over slightly to present liooked'formations facing toward the direction of travel 0f the chain. lf desired, these cogprojections 28 might be placed upon each of the links or upon alternately, or even in other spacing, the spacingy of the links with the cogs formed in conjunction therewith depending "somewhat upon the desire of the manufacturer.` Operating levers 29 and' 30 are arranged in oblique disposition at the ends ofthe box'5 and are disposed through openings provided in the end w'allsfand the floor thereof in such relation that'the lower ends as shown at 31 are disposed through the lower side of the floor 3. Slotted openings 32 are provided infthese operating levers`29 and 30 and pins 33 are'placed through these slotted openings in vsuch relation that the operating levers 29 and 30 can'be raised and lowered in sliding paths andV may be brought to such relation that the lower end 3l thereof will be engagedvwith the cog` teeth 28 of the chain' 2,3, or will be raised to be entirely above the highest point of extension ofthese cog teeth, Coil springs 34: and 35 are connected with the ends of the box 5 and with the operating levers 29 and 30 in such relation that theyV exert tension to normally raise the levers to such a position that the shaped lower ends 31 are above the path ofmovement of the cog teethl 28 as the chain`23 is moved, and handles 36 and 37 are arranged in conjunction with the operating levers 29 and 30' so that as desired these levers or bars can be moved downwardly to bring the shaped lower ends into the path of movement of the cog teeth 28 and to thus cause the cog teeth to engage with the end of the lever and carry the car with the movement of the chain. As is better shown in Fig. 2, the levers or bars 29 and 30 are disposed at oposite sides of the car and thus as it is desiredto have the car move in a direction toward the right hand end of the sheet in accordance with the disclosure in Fig. 7, the lever 29 is grasped through the handle 36 and is forced down against the tension of the spring 34 until the shaped end thereot1 is engaged with one of the cog teeth and thus the car is coupled with the chain to be carried along the length of the track. Immediately after the handle 36 is released, the spring 34 will again return the lever 29 to the inoperative relation and then the car will stop or the handle 37 may be grasped and the lever 30 moved downwardly against the tension of the spring 35 to a position in which the shaped end thereof will be engaged by the cog teeth 28 of the chain and the car will then be moved in the opposite direction. As it is desirable that the car be placed under the absolute control of the operator and as it is essential that the parts be so arranged that the car can be stopped and positively held adjacent to any one of the looms or at any other desired position, l mount the brake levers 38 and 39 upon the floor 3 of the car in such relation that they are disposed over the wheels 4 and have their inner ends extending into the box 5. Brake shoes 40 and 41 are carried by these brake levers 88 and 39 and the inner ends of the levers as extended into the box 5 have the tread plates 42 and 43 carried thereby so that the operator always has ready access to one of the brake mechanisms thus provided irrespective of which direction the car may be traveling and which direction it may be facing.

The combination lilling and empty quill boxes 9 and 10 are so divided by the partitions 44 and 45, that filling boxes are provided in the upper part and empty quill boxes are -formed below the partitions. To give access to the compartments below the partitions 44 and 45, the tubes 46 and 47 are boxed in on the inner side walls of the combination boxes 9 and 10 and open at the lower end into the compartments beneath the partitions 44 and 45. Outlet openings 48 and 49 are provided in the outer sides of the boxes 9 and 10 adjacent to the lower ends thereof and consequently beneath the j iartiticns 44 and 45, and as the floor of the einjil'y quill boxes formed by the provision of the partitions 44 and 45 are sloped toward these openings 48 and 49, the empty quills placed in the compartments supplied by the tubes 46 and 47 will naturally fall toward the openings 48 and 49. Slides 50 and 51 are provided to control the passage of the empty quills through the openings 48 and 49, and handles 52 and 53 are extended up to have their ends adjacent to the upper edge of the boxes so that the operator can manipulate these slides while remaining within the box 5.

l/Vith the parts constructed as has been hereinbefore set forth and with power transmitting means arranged to give movement to the power shaftv25, an operator has complete control Vof the car without leaving the seat 8 and can operate the same in either direction and positively stop the machine, further, by filling the spaces above the partitions 44 and 45 with quills and using these spaces as lfilling boxes while the spaces below the partitions are used for the reception of empty quills, a single quill boy or other operator can serve several looms. Further, the removal of the side portions 6 and 7 will not only permit the operator to have ready access to the car but also will open the sides so that cloth as taken from the looms can be placed within the box 5, thus adapting the apparatus to take the place of yet another hand who would be employed in removing the cloth. If desired, the track might be given a considerable extent and two or more of the cars might be mounted to receive actuating movement from a single chain, but of course under these circumstances it will be understood that definite lines of operation must be established and that each of the cars would be operated only throughout a predetermined portion of the length of the track. From the matter .as set forth above it will be seen that the apparatus will make it possible for a single quill boy or other unskilled operator to serve a number of looms placed in rows upon the floor of the weave shop, that the provision of this apparatus takes away all filling boxes and empty quill boxes from the fioor, and also makes it possible to take the cloth from the looms, however, objection might be raised upon the ground that the arrangement ofthe cog springs to travel within the track adjacent to the looms so disposes this chain that vthe loom tender is liable to have a foot caught within the track by a cog chain or to be otherwise injured. j

To overcome the objection as above mentioned, it is preferable that cover means be provided Vto be normally closed over the chain recesses and to thus guard the same. The trackway 1 is `left open in its central portion and has only the structural rib 52. Chain guards 53 are mounted over the chain recesses 17 and 18 and rods 54 connected with these chain guards are extended through suitable bearing openings provided in thc central rib 52 so that these rods may have free sliding movement through the bearing recesses but will at the same time act to maintain the guard members in the proper relation. Coil springs 55 are mounted around the rods 54 between portions of the guards 53 and the rib 52, and thus the guards 53 are normally held in such relation that they cover over the chain recesses 17 and 18. It is preferable that this chain guard structure be so constructed that the guard members are of comparatively short length and thus a number of the guard members 53 are disposed throughout each of the straight lengths of the chain Q3. On their uppers sides these guard members are provided with the `grooves 5G which at the ends of the members are curved as shown at 5T. Lugs as indicated at 5S and 59 are disposed toy extend downwardly from the floor 3 of the car adjacent to the lower ends 3.1. of the levers 29 and 30, and thus as the car travels along upon the track, these lugs will engage in the grooves 56 and will move back the guide plates so that the shaped ends of the operating levers can pass when they are moved down toy be engaged by the cog teeth of the chain. To close the open central portion of thetrackway, the cover plates GO are provided and supporting membersy 61 are positioned in this open central portion of the trackway to support tihe cover plates 60 in such relation that the chain guard members 53 are permitted to have free sliding movement beneath the cover. plates 60.

By the provision of the cover and guard means for the trackway and the chain, the parts of the trackway are so inclosed that the loom tenders or other persons moving about upon the weaving floor will not be liable to be injured and also that very little obstruction is placed above the floor, and it will thus be seen that when considering the advantages` as above set forth, I have provided a structure which will do away with a number of quill boys .and other attendants now usually employed upon the weaving flo-or,I at the same time presenting the structure in such form that a numbery of looms may be served by the operator of the car with facility and expedition.

While in the foregoing I have described the par-ts as constructed and assembled in prescribed manners and have illustrated only one specific form of the apparatus, it will be understood that a number of changes and variations in the form, arrangement, and operation of the parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the eXact discl-osure but, only to such points as may be set forth in the claims. Y

I claim:

l. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a track arranged adjacent thelooms to be served, a belt chain, wheels over which said belt chain is mounted arranged at such points that the straight lengths of the belt are adjacent the rails of the track, a car mounted to travel in either direction upon the track, means by which the wheels are turned to accomplish traveling movement of the chain in one direction, and means at the sides of the car to be caught in the straight lengths of the chain adjacent either of the rails and to thus accomplish the desired movement of the car.

2. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a track arranged adjacent the looms to be served, a belt chain, wheels over which said belt chain is mounted arranged at such point-s that the straight lengths of the belt are adjacent the rails of the track, a car mounted to travel in either direction upon the track, means by which the wheels are turned to accomplish traveling movement of the chain in one direction, means at the sides of the car to be caught in the straight lengths of the chain adjacent either of the rails and to thus accomplish the desired movement of the car, and brake means carried by the car by which movement thereof is stopped when the chain catching means is released.

3. A loom tending apparatus comprising l in combination with a track arranged adj acent the looms to be served, wheels mounted adjacent the ends of the track between the rails thereof and to revolve on substantially vertical axes, one of said wheels having turning movement imparted thereto, a belt chain mounted around said wheels to have the. straight lengths thereof adjacent the rails, upstanding cog teeth provided in said chain, a car mounted to travel in either direction upon a track, and means carried by said car at, the sides thereof to be engaged with the upstanding cogs of the chain as the same is moved in a straight length adjacent either of the rails and to thus effect movement of the car in either direction.

4f. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a track mounted adjacent to the looms to be served, a chain arranged to travel adjacent to the track and provided with upstanding cog teeth, a car mounted to travel on the track, means arranged in conjunction with said car to be moved to a position to be engaged by the cog teeth of the chain so that upon movement of the chain the car will be correspondingly moved, means by which movement is imparted to said chain, and means by which the traveling movement ofthe car is stopped upon release of the holding means of the car from the cogs of the chain.

5. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination With a trackway located adjacent to the looms to be served and .provided with tracks at the sides thereof, chain recesses provided adjacent to the tracks, sprocket Wheels mounted at the ends of the trackvvay, means by Which said Wheels are turned, a chain mounted over said Wheels to have the straight lengths thereof received in the recesses of the trackvvay, upstanding cog teeth provided on said chain, and means mounted in conjunction with the car at each side thereof to be selectively moved to a relation to be engaged by the cog teeth of the chain to thus cause traveling movement of the car along 'the length of the track.

6. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a trackvvay located adjacent to the looms to be served and provided with tracks at the sides thereof, chain recesses provided adjacent to the tracks, sprocket Wheels mounted at the ends of the trackvvay, means by which said Wheels are turned, a chain mounted over said wheels to have the straight lengths thereof received in the recesses of the trackvvay, upstanding cog teeth provided on said chain, means mounted in conjunction with the car at each side thereof to be selectively moved to a relation to be engaged by the cog teeth of the chain to thus cause traveling movement of the car along the length of the track, springs connected with said last mentioned means to normally retract the same to an inoperative relation, and brake means by which movement of the car is stopped.

7. A loom tending apparatus comprising a track, a car consisting of a floor mounted on wheels to travel on the track, a box constructed on the middle portion of the floor, a combination filling and empty quill box mounted on the floor at each end of the box, a chain mounted to travel adjacent to the track, and means Within the control of the operator riding upon the car to be brought into engagement With the chain to cause movement of the car as the chain moves.

8. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a trackWay having tracks at the sides thereof and With chain recesses adjacent to the tracks, sprocket Wheels mounted at each end of the track- Way, a sprocket chain mounted over said sprocket Wheels to have the straight lengths thereof received in the recesses of the track- Way and thus arranged to travel in opposite directions adjacent to each of the tracks as the sprocket Wheels are turned, means to turn the sprocket Wheels, a car mounted on the track, and slide bars mounted in conjunction With the car to beI capable of movement into engagement With said sprocket chain and arranged at opposite sides of the car so that manipulation of said means will cause the car to travel in either direction.

9. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a trackvvay having tracks at the sides thereof and with chain recesses adjacent to the tracks, sprocket Wheels mounted at each end of the track- Way, a sprocket chain mounted over said sprocket Wheels to have the straight lengths thereof received in the recesses of the track- Way and thus arranged to travel in opposite directions adjacent to each of the tracks as the sprocket Wheels are turned, means to turn the sprocket wheels, a car mounted on the track, slide bars mounted in conjunction with the car to be capable of movement into engagement'with said sprocket chain and arranged at opposite sides of the car so that manipulation of said means Will cause the car to travel in either direction, and means to normally hold said last mentioned means in an inoperative relation.

l0. A loom tending apparatus comprising in combination with a trackway vhaving tracks at the sides thereof and With chain recesses adjacent to the tracks, sprocket Wheels mounted at each end of the trackWay, a sprocket chain mounted over said sprocket Wheels to have the straight lengths thereof received in the recesses of the trackvvay and thus arranged to travel in opposite directions adjacent to each of the tracks as the sprocket Wheels are turned, means to turn' the sprocket Wheels, a car mounted on the track, slide bars mounted in conjunction vvith car to be capable of movement into engagement With said sprocket chain and arranged at opposite sides of the car so that manipulation of said means lvvill cause the car to travel in either direction, means to normally hold said last mentioned means in an operative relation, upstanding cog teeth upon the chain to give better driving grip, and brake means to stop movement of the car.

In testimony vvhereof I affix my signature in presence of tvvo Witnesses.

' WILLIAM I-I. HILL. Witnesses:

JAMES R. CALDWELL, J. M. HILL.

@epica er this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! latenti,

Washington, Il. G. 

